A pure white light flashed through the store and blew the armed nobles all the way to the entrance.
After the light slowly disappeared... Louise appeared, having raised herself to full height on top of a table. The attack was Louise's “Void” spell, 'Explosion'.
Her whole body shaking with anger, her favorite, inherited wand was glittering in her hand. Louise had tied it to her thigh and hidden it, just in case something happened.
Confused, the nobles fell into panic.
Louise muttered in a small voice.
“...Washboard wasn't necessary, was it?”
Her rarely attained happy mood was blown away with that single statement. She recalled a lot of her dark past with that single word “washboard”. She thought of Jessica's and Siesta's cleavages in her mind.
It's too much. For you to say something like that when someone finally goes to serve you.
“Hii! Hiiiiiiii!”
The intensity of the legend... “Void's” intensity frightened the nobles.
“Why do you have to go so far and say those things? Isn't it too much for you to call me a washboard when I came to pour you some alcohol? You better prepare yourself!”
The nobles scrambled to escape.
Without moving, Louise waved her wand.
The ground in front of the entrance was annihilated, creating a large hole. The nobles all dropped into it nicely.
Those nobles piled onto each other and looked up. Louise slowly appeared, and the nobles started trembling even more.
“Wh-what are you? Who are you? From which renowned mage?!”
Chulenne, while trembling, asked Louise. He had never seen or heard of that light that blew people away.
Without answering, Louise took out the permit she got from Henrietta and thrust it in Chulenne's face.
“...H-H-Her Majesty's permit?”
“I am Her Majesty the Queen's court lady, and the third daughter of an esteemed family lineage that boasts of a righteous history. I have no name to tell some petty official like you.”
“I-I-I'm very sorry!”
Chulenne bent his fattened body and forcibly bowed in the hole. The nobles that got pushed by him let out moans.
Louise stood up.
“Spare me! At least my life!”
Saying that, Chulenne rummaged through his body and threw his entire wallet to Louise. He urged the nobles around him, and had them do the same and present their wallets to Louise.
“With these! Ignore what has happened! I beg of you!”
Without even looking at the wallets, Louise declared.
“Forget everything you've seen and heard today. Otherwise, no matter how many lives you have, it won't be enough.”
“Yes! I swear! I swear to Her Majesty and the Founder that I will not reveal what has happened today to anyone!”
While yelling that, he got out of the hole in a tumbling manner, and Chulenne and his men disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Louise gallantly returned back inside the store. Earsplitting applause assaulted Louise.
“That was amazing! Louise-chan!”
“Couldn't get enough of that look on Chulenne's face!”
“I feel refreshed! That was great!”
Scarron, Jessica, and the store's girls surrounded Louise all at once.
There, Louise returned to her senses, though “Now I've done it...”, and hung her head in shame. She had lost it when she was called a washboard. Saito was about to get caught, so she chanted the spell without thinking.
Saito approached her and whispered to her
“...Idiot! You shouldn't use magic, right?!”
“Uu... But...”
“Sheesh... Hah, good grief...... Now we have to start back from zero...”
Scarron patted Louise's and Saito's shoulders.
“It's fine.”
“Heh?”
“I knew Louise-chan was a noble beforehand.”
Saito glared at Jessica. Panicking, Jessica waved her hands in front of her face to tell him “I didn't say anything.”
“Ho-how?”
Louise asked while dumbfounded.
“Because, well, that is...”
The store's girls took over for Scarron.
“It was completely obvious from your attitude and behavior!”
Uu, so that's it... Louise thought, feeling disheartened.
“Just how many years do you think we've been running this bar? My eye for discerning people is top class. But you have circumstances right? Relax. There isn't a girl here that would expose a co-worker's past's secrets.”
The girls all nodded at once.
I see. Saito thought. Jessica wasn't the only sharp one here.
“The girls here all are pretty accepting. That's why you can relax... Continue earning tips from now on, okay?”
Louise nodded. Saito felt relieved.
Clapping his hands together, Scarron said in a cheerful voice
“Now! All of the customers have gone home now, so I will announce the results of the tip race.”
Cheering voices erupted.
“Well, there is no need to count, right?”
Scarron said after looking at the wallets Chulenne and his men left on the ground.
Looking at the wallets, Louise realized what he meant. Inside... a large amount of money was stuffed there.
“Eh? This is...”
“Tip, right?”
Scarron said and winked an eye. Then he seized her hand and raised it up.
“Winner! Louise-chan!”
Applause resounded through the store.
The evening of the next day... Louise did not come out of her bed.
“Hey, let's go to work.”
“I'm resting today.”
“Heh?”
Saito looked blankly at her. Then he rethought. Well, it's been a while since she used magic, so she's probably tired. I guess it's fine if she rests today.
“Got it. Tell me when you are feeling bad.”
The winning prize, “Charming Faeries' Bustier”, was hung on the wall. Even though it was a prize... she could only wear it today. Well, it was an heirloom after all.
Descending the stairs, Scarron came up to him.
“Oh? What happened to Louise-chan?”
“It seems she plans to rest for the day.”
“My... No way, what a waste...”
“Why is that?”
“Because, she can only wear the 'Charming Faeries' Bustier' today. I'm going to have her return it tomorrow.”
“Guess that's true.”
“If you wear that, you can get as many tips as you want... What a waste, what a waste.”
Murmuring that, Scarron disappeared into the store, which was starting to get tumultuous.
Saito went to his dish-washing, unable to make sense of what was going on.
After working hard and finishing his job, Saito returned to the attic. Looking up from the corridor... light was leaking through the room's floorboards. It seemed that Louise was still awake.
What's with her... Even though she said she was tired and was going to rest, she isn't sleeping at all. She should have just wore the bustier and earned some money in this case.
Pushing the attic's floorboard up, Saito poked his head up. Instantly, astonishment.
The room had been swept clean, and it seemed a dust cloth had been used since not a bit of dust fluttered about. The piled up junk had been placed in one spot, and the room had been adjusted so it actually looked like someone could possibly live there.
“What… happened?”
“I did it. It’s disgusting to live in a dirty place all of the time.”
Facing her voice, Saito became even more astonished.
Food and wine had been lined up on top of the table... and a candle was illuminating it.